Author: Mark Jackson | 2 Comments

The Post Office has chosen to scrap its limited BTWholesale and Logica based managed broadband and phone platform, which is still stuck on old ‘up to’ 8Mbps ADSL technology, in favour of a huge new and potentially more competitive unbundled (LLU) solution delivered by Fujitsu and rival ISP TalkTalk.

Author: Mark Jackson | 3 Comments

Internet security experts at Trend Micro have warned UK ISPs to pay more attention to their abuse departments after it was forced to block Pipex’s (TalkTalk) spam spewing email servers for almost a week because the provider “choose not to man their abuse desk” and did not respond to the warnings.

Author: Mark Jackson | 1 Comment

Global telecoms giant Cable & Wireless Worldwide (CWW), which is busy trying to sell itself to Vodafone for £1.044bn (here), has warned two rural England (UK) communities in Cumbria (Duddon Valley and Branthwaite) that it will cut their broadband connection by the end of June 2012 because the public subsidy has expired.

Author: Mark Jackson | 0 Comments

Budget ISP TalkTalk has created its own Digital Retail Price Index (DRPI), which shows the rate of inflation when you buy goods (food and clothing etc.) online instead of on the high street. It claims that inflation on the internet is just 0.3%, which compares with 3.5% for the UK’s Retail Price Index (RPI) and 3% for the Consumer Price Index (CPI) .

Author: Mark Jackson | 11 Comments

The Managing Director (MD) of UK business ISP Fluidata, Piers Daniell, has accused the Chief Operating Officer of Virgin Media, Andrew Barron, of being almost hypocritical for claiming that BT are monopolising superfast broadband. “It’s rich that a company like Virgin, who offers no wholesale access to its residential network, is making such an issue,” said Piers.

Author: Mark Jackson | 5 Comments

The UK governments Culture Secretary, Jeremy Hunt MP, has signalled his frustration after having to reveal that 11 local authorities (county councils etc.) “aren’t working hard enough or fast enough” and failed to get their Local Broadband Plans (LBP) approved before the end of the April 2012 deadline last month.

Author: Mark Jackson | 2 Comments

Mobile group Everything Everywhere (Orange UK and T-Mobile) has today launched its new Smart Signal Sharing technology, which means that if a customer’s Mobile Broadband connectivity begins to fade (e.g. down to one bar of signal) then it will seamlessly prioritise a 3G signal from the other network instead.

Author: Mark Jackson | 14 Comments

The UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has rejected an attempt by TalkTalk to have a rival TV advert for the BTInfinity (FTTC) superfast broadband service pulled. The ISP accused BT’s promotion of “misleadingly” implying that fibre optic broadband services were only available from BT.

Author: Mark Jackson | 4 Comments

The Go ON UK (RaceOnline 2012) initiative, which is headed up by the country’s Digital Champion, Martha Lane Fox, has joined forces with ISP TalkTalk and software giant Microsoft to offer a special refurbished computer (Windows 7 PC or Laptop) and broadband with phone bundle to low income adults and families from just £49.

Author: Mark Jackson | 0 Comments

UK internet users of the free OpenDNS service are currently being affected by “intermittent packetloss across select carriers” at their London facility. Many people use alternative Domain Name Servers (DNS), such as the free solutions from OpenDNS and Google Public DNS, to avoid loading websites via their ISPs often slower and more restrictive servers.

Author: Mark Jackson | 0 Comments

The UK communications regulator, Ofcom, has fined broadband and phone provider Axis Telecom (Axis) £30,000 for abusing the ‘Cancel Other‘ mechanism, which is designed to protect consumers from being switched to another ISP without their consent (slamming), and for “attempting to induce consumers to terminate their contract” with the new ISP.

Author: Mark Jackson | 1 Comment

Business ISP Metronet UK has today announced the expansion of its hybrid superfast fibre optic (FTTx) and wireless broadband network to reach firms in the market town of Macclesfield (Cheshire East / Cheshire) and surrounding areas, where local businesses have allegedly been unhappy with BT’s existing FTTC service.

Author: Mark Jackson | 0 Comments

The Cloud (BSkyB), a public wifi hotspot operator, has announced that the visitors and guests of 2,400 UK pubs, restaurants, hotels and venues owned by the Greene King group will soon be able to access a free wireless internet service (with no time constraints).

Author: Mark Jackson | 0 Comments

The annual Comms Business Awards, which will this year be held at the Lancaster London hotel on 21st June, have this week published their full shortlist of potential winners. The awards include several broadband ISP related categories, albeit with more of a business than consumer focus.